Xie Shuci followed the man to the wardrobe, which contained sheer clothes of various colors.
The styles look similar, exuding an ethereal beauty with a touch of sexiness.
"I'll pick it myself?" Xie Shuci fiddled with two sets of clothes and held them up against himself.
The man smiled faintly and remained silent, turning to look at Xiao Lian.
Xiao Lian stepped forward and said, "Young Master Xie, you have an innocent and adorable appearance, and your skin is even whiter than a woman's. Crimson would suit you better. The alluring color paired with your face makes people both love and hate you, unable to extricate themselves from it."
Xie Shuci glanced at her. Didn't she mean that he looked stupid and easy to fool? But he did like red.
Xie Shuci took a red gauze robe from the wardrobe, which had a faint fragrance on it.
"This one then, I'll try it on," Xie Shuci said.
The man then took out another stack of clothes from the side and said, "That one is a bit too big for you, wear this one instead."
Xie Shuci nodded, took the clothes from his hand, looked around, caught sight of a screen, and walked over.
Xie An stood not far away, his brows furrowing unconsciously.
Xie Shuci walked behind the screen, stripped down to only his underpants, and put on the red gauze dress.
The gauze robe felt light and airy on his body, with a slit on the side of the lantern sleeves, letting in a cool breeze. The lantern pants were the same, with the cuffs tied above his ankles and slits on both sides from the ankles to the thighs. The thin gauze at the waist was openwork, just enough to reveal the cinnabar mole on his waist.
Xie Shuci dusted off his sleeves and stepped out from behind the screen.
As he adjusted his collar, which was plunging to his ribs, he said smugly, "Your designers are quite skilled. I've never seen this type of clothing back in my hometown."
How to put it? It's both flamboyant and beautiful, with a touch of ethereal charm.
Seeing that no one responded, Xie Shuci looked up in confusion and saw that the people in the room were staring at him one by one.
Xie Shuci asked, puzzled, "What are you doing...?"
"Don't speak!" Xiao Lian suddenly interrupted him sternly. "Stand still and smile, give me a smile."
Xie Shuci didn't understand, but smiled faintly in response to her words.
Xiao Lian's pupils contracted, her eyes revealing surprise.
Xie Shuci: "?"
Xie An sat at the table, his fingers gripping the teacup tightly, his eyes unfathomable.
Xie Shuci had fair skin, and under the red gauze, he exuded a hazy and mysterious aura. The openwork fabric at his waist was like a net, tightening his waist, as if it were a net woven from silk threads, binding Xie Shuci within it, leaving him nowhere to escape.
The design of this gauze dress is full of a sense of confinement. The tubes that are tied around the wrists and ankles like lanterns have a sharp cut on the sides of the arms and legs, giving the impression that although it is restrictive, there is room for exploitation. It is half-concealed and half-revealed, coy and hesitant.
Add to that Xie Shuci's slender figure, the protruding bones under her skin, and the smooth muscle lines that are faintly visible under the thin gauze, making her seem like a small prey surrounded by flames with nowhere to escape.
Xie Shuci looked so innocent, his bright eyes revealing ignorance and pure kindness, more like a little prince protected by countless thorns in a beautiful garden, unaware of the ways of the world.
But the more this happens, the more it arouses the destructive and controlling desires within one's heart, the more one wants to get dirty on that otherworldly, impeccably clean person.
She wanted to see him cry helplessly, groan in suppressed pain, clinging to her as if grasping at the last straw, using all his strength, almost becoming one with her.
Xie Shuci blinked, feeling their gazes growing increasingly strange and intense. He awkwardly tugged at his clothes, looking embarrassed, and asked, "What are you doing?"
Xiao Xianlan blushed and lowered her head, not daring to look at Xie Shuci again.
The man's eyes were filled with amazement as he praised without reservation, "Young master, this outfit suits you very well."
"Really?" Xie Shuci raised his hand and gestured a couple of times. "Isn't it dashing and heroic?"
Hey! Hehe!
Xie Shuci imitated the gestures from the martial arts films he used to watch on TV.
She finished and then gave the man a smug look, raising an eyebrow.
The man paused for a moment: "..."
Xiao Lian scolded, "Don't move around, you're ruining the aesthetics."
After saying that, Xiao Lian walked to the side, took out a white gauze ribbon from somewhere, and walked towards Xie Shuci.
"What are you doing?" Xie Shuci asked warily, looking at the thing in her hand.
Xiao Lian said, "My neck looks a bit too plain. Let's tie this up."
"Huh?" Xie Shuci was dumbfounded. "I'm not a dog, why would I wear a dog leash?"
"Don't talk nonsense, this is for decoration."
Xiao Lian gestured for him to bend down, and Xie Shuci reluctantly bent down, realizing that one has to bow one's head when under someone's roof.
Xiao Lian wrapped a white gauze ribbon around his throat.
"Cough! Are you trying to strangle me?" Xie Shuci complained.
"Don't move."
After tying the ribbon, Xiao Lian took two steps back, looking with satisfaction at the sensory stimulation brought about by the clash of the two colors on Xie Shuci's body.
“Good, that’s fine. Help him put on a simple hair ornament, I’ll come back in half an hour.”
"Yes," the man said, bowing his head.
Xie Shuci touched his neck uncomfortably; the thing was stuck right below his Adam's apple, which was quite uncomfortable.
"Young master, please come this way," the man said, bending down.
"oh."
Xie Shuci sat down in front of the bronze mirror under his guidance. He gently removed Xie Shuci's hair bun, took a jade crown, and tied it on Xie Shuci's head.
Xie Shuci looked at himself in the bronze mirror. It was still the same familiar face, but his temperament had changed. He really looked like one of those gullible fools in TV dramas.
Xie Shuci curled his lips; he still preferred the kind of look that made him look impressive.
"alright."
After fastening the jade crown, the man smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
Xie Shuci adjusted her jade crown in front of the bronze mirror and asked in bewilderment, "Does this really look good?"
The man chuckled and said, "Beautiful, just as stunning as Miss Xianyu."
Xie Shuci pointed to himself speechlessly, "Me? Comparing myself to the top courtesan? I can't afford to lose face like that."
The man shook his head helplessly and remained silent.
Xie Shuci looked at Xie An, who was sitting silently at the table, in the bronze mirror, and suddenly had an idea. She asked, "Then, between me and Xie An, who is more handsome?"
The man paused, glanced back at Xie An at the table, pondered for a moment, and said, "I can't tell who's better, but I can describe them in two words—perfectly matched."
Xie Shuci's heart skipped a beat. Glancing at the little blind man's indifferent expression, she pouted and said, "Do you even know how to describe things? Xie An and I, he's my younger brother, and we're both men. How can you use those two words to describe us?"
The man chuckled knowingly and did not refute him.
Before long, the man brought a pair of red cloth shoes with red ribbons tied to them. Xie Shuci had seen these shoes before; after wearing them, the ribbons were tied around the ankles.
"Young master, we need to go downstairs to greet our guests. After you are dressed, you can sit in the room for a while. Xiao Lian will come to pick you up."
"Okay." Xie Shuci said without looking up, studying how to tie the straps.
The man was taken aback. "W-what?"
Xie Shuci was also stunned for a moment, then realized, "Oh... it means good."
The man frowned suspiciously, nodded as if he understood, and left with the others.
A moment later, only Xie Shuci and Xie An remained in the room.
Xie Shuci stood with one foot on the stool, frowning as he struggled with the ribbon on his cloth shoes. No matter how he tried to tie them, they wouldn't stay in place and kept slipping off. After several attempts, Xie Shuci couldn't understand why anyone would invent such difficult-to-wear shoes, and in a fit of anger, he kicked the shoes off.
"These lousy shoes, aren't they just a pain in the ass?" Xie Shuci said indignantly, his face turning red with anger.
Xie An had somehow appeared behind him. Seeing this, he stepped forward, bent down, and picked up the shoe that Xie An had kicked off.
Xie Shuci said angrily, "This ribbon is too difficult to tie. I can't tie it properly. Let's wait for Xiaolian and the others to come over."
Xie An didn't speak, but carefully measured the length of the belt with his hand. Then he bent down and pressed down on Xie Shuci.
Because Xie Shuci was sitting in a chair, he was already much shorter than Xie An. Now, as Xie An bent over, his body pressed down on Xie Shuci's head, casting a shadow over Xie Shuci. The invisible pressure caused Xie Shuci to tense up instantly, his eyes wide open, and he held his breath, trying to see what Xie An was planning to do.
Xie An knelt down in front of Xie Shuci, then grabbed Xie Shuci's left ankle with one hand. Xie Shuci felt a jolt, suddenly feeling as if he was being controlled, and subconsciously tried to pull his leg back.
Xie An clenched his fists, his expression unchanged, and his voice was slightly low and hoarse, "I'll help you."
The strength in his hand was undeniable. He gripped Xie Shuci's fragile ankle as if he had easily taken control, giving Xie Shuci no chance to escape. He held Xie Shuci's ankle and placed it on his knee.
The little blind man's fingers were a little cold. Although he used force, it didn't hurt. Xie Shuci opened her eyes wide in confusion and looked at him timidly. Her left leg was stiff and she dared not move. Her cheeks were burning hot, all the way to the tips of her ears.
Damn... what is that blind boy doing...?
My heart is pounding so hard I feel like I'm going crazy...
Xie Shuci didn't dare to speak, and neither did Xie An. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Xie An helped him put on his shoes, then took two red ribbons and wrapped them around his ankles. The ribbons rubbed against his skin, causing a slight itch, but this tiny sensation was magnified at this moment, and Xie Shuci's body trembled slightly involuntarily.
Tie the ribbon above his ankle, Xie An's hand still clasped his calf, his eyes lowered as if he were thinking about something, his expression somewhat deep.
"Thank you, thank you?" Xie Shuci moved his left leg, indicating that he could let go.
Xie An came to his senses and released his leg.
Xie Shuci took the opportunity to pull her leg back from his knee. Apart from the slight itch from the friction of the ribbon, her ankle seemed to still retain the warmth of the little blind man's fingers.
When he was about to put Xie Shuci's right shoe on again, Xie Shuci quickly stopped him. He felt that he couldn't take it anymore, that his heart would probably explode if he did it again.
"No, no, I've already learned it."
Upon hearing this, Xie An did not insist. He got up, dusted himself off, and sat down next to Xie Shuci.
After Xie An left, Xie Shuci felt the air in front of him become more comfortable. He picked up the other shoe and put it on, while secretly looking at Xie An as he did so.
When he appeared calm and collected again, I felt a surge of anger.
It's always the same. He teases me so much that my heart is completely tied to him, but I always stay clear-headed, like an outsider. I don't know if it's intentional or not. It's so annoying!
So annoying! So annoying!
The more Xie Shuci thought about it, the more resentful he became, so he vented it all on his hands. He wrapped the ribbon around his ankle and pulled it tightly. The ribbon dug into his skin, making him gasp in pain. He quickly let go and slapped himself in frustration.
Xie Xiaoci, what are you thinking about?
Would a blind girl deliberately seduce you?
You can't just say the grapes are sour because you can't have them!
However, if things continued like this, Xie Shuci felt that he would eventually get pregnant because of that thing. The little blind man was really something. He was so good-looking, but why was he so nice to him?
Honestly, what normal man would kneel down to put shoes on another man?
Damn it! This is so annoying!
Xie Shuci glared at him, but out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of the peach blossom at his waist, and her heart skipped a beat.
Why...did he still keep it?
Xie Shuci was sometimes furious, sometimes resentful, and sometimes extremely pleased. It was only because the little blind man couldn't see that he thought he was crazy.
What is love in this world that makes people...?
Stop! Stop thinking! You idiot!
Xie Shuci mentally gave himself a triple dose of contempt. After putting on his shoes, he closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and tried to calm himself down.
He figured out this method himself while refining elixirs, and it's quite effective.
Xie Shuci's breathing gradually calmed down, and he focused his attention on the air. As the overflowing spiritual energy permeated the room, he was able to know everything in the room even without opening his eyes.
When there was movement outside the door, spiritual energy fluctuated, and Xie Shuci suddenly opened his eyes and looked outside the door.
The next moment, Xiao Lian and Xiao Xianlan pushed open the door and entered.
Xiao Lian seemed to sense something and looked at Xie Shuci in surprise. Xie Shuci, however, had already anticipated that someone was outside the door and was staring straight at them.
"Your cultivation level has improved?" Xiao Lian asked in surprise.
Xie Shuci looked at her, confused. "What?"
“Your cultivation has progressed; your sea of consciousness has taken shape.” Xiao Lian entered the room, her expression somewhat complicated.
"The sea of consciousness?"
Hearing this, Xiao Lian rolled her eyes at him speechlessly, "Let me explain it to you like this: you and Ye Changxuan should have met in the Dragon Fang Secret Realm. The Dragon Fang Secret Realm is the sea of consciousness of a deceased powerful being. In the cultivation world, cultivators with good fortune can cultivate their own sea of consciousness. As your cultivation improves, your sea of consciousness will expand. After you die, the gate to your sea of consciousness will open in the cultivation world."
Xie Shuci nodded as if he understood, "After I die, my sea of consciousness will become a secret realm that appears only once every few decades?"
Xiao Lian shrugged and said, "If your body and soul are not completely destroyed after you die, your sea of consciousness can be transformed into a secret realm."
"A secret realm like the Dragon Fang Secret Realm?"
Xiao Lian rolled her eyes at him, "You should take a good look at yourself. Those great secret realms are usually formed from the sea of consciousness of ascended great beings. With your current cultivation level, your sea of consciousness is not even as big as this room."
"Alright then." Xie Shuci raised his eyebrows sheepishly.
Xie Shuci suddenly remembered something and asked in shock, "So, the Floating Pagoda Realm is also the sea of consciousness of a powerful being?"
"right."
Who is it?
"How would I know?"
"But aren't secret realms only opened once every few decades or centuries? Why can the Floating Pagoda Realm stay open indefinitely?" Xie Shuci asked, puzzled.
Xiao Lian raised her eyebrows, indicating that she didn't know either.
Xie An slowly spoke: "I once read in a book that some ascended cultivators, whose cultivation was powerful enough, could forcibly open the door to the sea of consciousness in the mortal realm."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lian frowned. "You mean, the Floating Pagoda Realm is a secret realm that some powerful being forcibly broke through?"
Xie An said, "I don't know if it's true or false based on what I read in the book."
"If that's the case, the Floating Pagoda Realm has existed in the cultivation world for at least several thousand years. Just how terrifying must this powerful being's cultivation be to support the passage between the cultivation world and the Floating Pagoda Realm?"
"I don't know."
Xie Shuci couldn't help but wonder, if the Floating Pagoda Realm really was a sea of consciousness forcibly broken open by some powerful being, then who could it be?
It's not that the Floating Pagoda Realm wasn't mentioned in the original book, but Xie Shuci was used to reading quickly and had almost forgotten all the plot points he had read, except for that freak Xiao Xun. He was the kind of person who read without thinking.
"Alright, stop thinking about it. I'll take you to meet the guests," Xiao Lian said.
How do I meet him?
"It's your first day here, just show your face."
"Alright then."
As Xiao Lian arrived at the lobby downstairs, the noisy guests in the lobby all quieted down upon seeing them, and countless eyes were drawn to Xie Shuci and his companions.
"this……"
Although Xie Shuci was a bit of a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur), he wasn't socially anxious. Being looked at by so many people didn't make him feel embarrassed at all; in fact, he felt like he was being fawned over and wanted to raise his hand to greet everyone.
Just as he was about to raise his arm, he heard Xiao Lian's voice beside him: "Don't talk, don't move, smile."
Xie Shuci frowned in dissatisfaction, but since the other party was now his boss, he had no choice but to suppress his true nature and show a just-right smile, with shallow dimples on his cheeks.
Perhaps because he had cultivated his sea of consciousness, Xie Shuci keenly sensed several burning gazes mixed in with the crowd, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable, as if something sticky had been stuck to him.
Xie Shuci raised her head and looked in the direction of one of the gazes. There, on the upper floor, was a door...
A man sat in front of the half-open window, his eyes frivolous as he looked Xie Shuci up and down.
When Xie Shuci finally saw the man's face clearly, his jaw clenched, and he cursed silently in his heart.
Damn, what terrible luck! It's like we've run into each other on a narrow road.
Who else could this man be but a spoiled brat who has repeatedly coveted the little blind girl?
Seeing Xie Shuci looking over, the man raised the wine glass in his hand at him, revealing a wicked and arrogant smile.
Xie Shuci's face darkened. He suddenly had a bad feeling. Could the difficult customer that Xiao Lian mentioned earlier be this playboy?
Xie Shuci looked away with a sullen expression. Seeing that he looked unwell, Xiao Xianlan called out worriedly, "Brother Xiaoci, are you alright?"
Xie Shuci wanted to ask her if that difficult customer was the idiot upstairs, but there were too many people here and it wasn't convenient, so he just shook his head to indicate that he was fine.
After Xie Shuci withdrew his gaze, Xie An raised his head and looked at the pavilion where the playboy was.
The playboy seemed unsurprised, even raising his eyebrows at Xie An with a defiant look.
Xie An, however, did not react. He casually withdrew his gaze, seemingly unaffected.
Xiao Lian led Xie Shuci to the round platform at the end, while Xiao Xianlan and Xie An remained below the platform.
At this moment, everyone seemed to realize what was happening and shouted:
"Miss Xiaolian, who is this gentleman?"
"Is he a new male prostitute at your Dongguan brothel?"
"His looks are just as good as Miss Xianyu's!"
Xie Shuci had been instructed beforehand. Standing on the stage, he didn't say a word, his face was almost frozen from smiling, and his lips were almost cramping.
Xiao Lian shook her palm-leaf fan, swayed her slender waist as she stepped forward, and said with a smile, "What are you saying, sir? This gentleman is indeed new here, just an entertainer named Xie Shuci. This is his first time here, so I brought him out to introduce him to you gentlemen. Does he look familiar?"
"Incompetent? What do you mean, incompetent? Aren't you going to show us anything?"
Xie Shuci didn't care about anything, he just laughed.
He thought to himself, "I'd love to show you guys what I'm capable of, but I don't have the chance."
Xiao Lian scoffed, "Sir, didn't you say it yourself? His looks are on par with Xian Yu's. Not just anyone can get him to show off his skills; you have to pay him."
As soon as Xiao Lian finished speaking, the audience burst into laughter:
"Miss Xiaolian, are you worried that we can't afford the money?"
Wanhua Tower is the largest and most famous brothel in Tianzhu City. Not everyone can freely enter and exit. Unless you possess a special waist token made by Wanhua Tower, even the Heavenly King himself wouldn't be able to set foot inside. After all, there are two demonic beasts guarding the entrance. Ordinary people trying to force their way in would be courting death. If a cultivator were to cause trouble, not only is Xiao Lian herself a cultivator, but Tianzhu City is also protected by a nearby country. If the dragon vein of a nation is disturbed, she would be despised by the world and infamous for eternity.
Therefore, none of the people present are high-ranking officials or cultivators who are ranked in the cultivation world. There is absolutely no way they cannot afford to spend money.
Xiao Lian smiled and said, "Of course that's not what I meant. It's just that our young master Xie is a bit special. He's different from other male prostitutes. He's not only a male prostitute, but also a benefactor of Wanhua Tower. So please don't make things difficult for him. Just have a good time and make friends. Please don't have any other thoughts."
Although most of the guests at the Dongguan Flower Pavilion were refined people who enjoyed watching dances and listening to music, there were also some with ulterior motives. They were used to being powerful and influential outside and inevitably became arrogant.
As she said this, Xiao Lian's gaze was fixed on the man in the attic.
The man pursed his lips dismissively, but his eyes turned cold.
"Miss Xiaolian, now that you've said so, who would dare to have any other thoughts?"
"Yeah, wouldn't that be suicide?"
"To enjoy wine and conversation with a beautiful woman is already a great pleasure; how could I possibly have other thoughts?"
Xiao Lian smiled faintly and said to Xie Shuci, "Shuci, say hello to everyone."
Xie Shuci was holding it in so hard; he felt like he was going to get facial paralysis if he kept laughing!
Upon hearing this, he clasped his hands in a grand gesture towards the crowd below the stage and said, "My name is Xie Shuci. Please give me your guidance—Hey! Why did you kick me?"
Everyone: "..."
Before Xie Shuci could finish speaking, he was kicked by Xiao Lian.
Xiao Lian lowered her voice and said, "Do you think this is a martial arts competition? What kind of instruction are you going to give me?"
"Then what should I say?" Xie Shuci asked, frowning.
"Be more reserved, understand?"
Xie Shuci pursed his lips. "I am Xie Shuci. Greetings, everyone?"
"good."
The audience found it extremely amusing and made a few jokes, which immediately caused everyone to burst into laughter.
When Xie Shuci saw them laughing, his gloom disappeared, and he laughed along with them.
Xiao Lian rolled her eyes at him, and was about to say something more when two wolf howls suddenly rang out from outside the door, mixed with a sharp lion's roar.
Xie Shuci recognized the king's voice and frowned. "They're fighting?"
Xiao Lian shook her head, "Lions don't fight easily."
Everyone in the hall looked towards the door in confusion, except for the playboy in the pavilion, who was toying with his wine cup with a meaningful smile on his lips.
As soon as she finished speaking, the golden-haired lion suddenly leaped in from outside.
"roar!"
It roared anxiously at Xie Shuci a few times.
Xie Shuci's expression changed. "Has something happened to the King?"
"roar!"
Xie Shuci suddenly jumped off the stage and said to Xiao Lian, "Take care of Xie An for me!"
After saying that, Xie Shuci ran out without looking back.
"Xie Shuci!" Xiao Lian called out, but Xie Shuci was extremely anxious and immediately chased after her with the golden-haired lion beast.
Seeing this, Xiao Lian looked at the man in the pavilion with hostility. The man slowly picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. The maid was nowhere to be seen.
Below the stage, Xie An frowned, his face somewhat gloomy.
He looked at the man in the attic, and with a swift movement, he vanished from his spot.
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